Senator Hillary Clinton will be the next Secretary of State. No one is questioning that. She sailed through her confirmation hearing with glowing reviews from members of both parties, and no one is questioning that we need someone heading that department as quickly as possible.

Senator John Cornyn of Texas objected to including Mrs. Clinton’s name in a unanimous consent vote for several Cabinet nominees, scheduled for hours after the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama. The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, plans to hold a roll-call vote on Mrs. Clinton’s nomination on Wednesday, which she is expected to win easily.

A spokesman for Mr. Cornyn, Kevin McLaughlin, said, “this is not an effort to scuttle or block the nomination, but a legitimate policy difference. Senator Cornyn’s goal is to create transparency on all levels of government.”

My ass. Cornyn has never been interested in transparency in government. He ran interference for the Bush administration on more than one occasion in the Senate, and seems to be doing this just to be a dick. He's not going to derail Clinton's nomination, and he knows it, but he can't let her get into the new office without showing that he's still got some stroke. Well good for you, Senator. Now go over to your office and be irrelevant while the real grownups clean up the mess you helped make.